


The Summer Prompts: Birth

by ashtoashes



Series: The Summer Prompts [1]
Category: Captive Prince - C. S. Pacat
Genre: 100 days of emotional prompts, Multi, and i didn't fancy writing a lamen fic for a 'birth' prompt so have some lesbian queens ig, at the very least there's pining hypermenestra, baby damen bc we always hear about smaurent so i needed some babianos, my characterisation is a bit sketchy but that's ok we have 99 days of this left, part of the drabble prompt list, theomedes has bad coping mechanisms, there is hyperia here if u squint, this prompt was 'birth', wow i hated writing her name every single time
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-04
Updated: 2018-09-04
Packaged: 2019-07-06 21:39:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 886
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15894654
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ashtoashes/pseuds/ashtoashes
Summary: 'I'll take care of your son.' Two queens become two mothers.100 Emotional Prompts for the Captive Prince universe. Set in a number of universes, at a number of points in history, through a number of sets of eyes.





	The Summer Prompts: Birth

**Author's Note:**

> this is the first of 100 emotional prompts - these were supposed to be drabbles but this is like 900 words so whoops  
> once again this is kind of bittersweet especially cos we know egeria died after giving birth  
> but i wanted her to be happy for like 5 minutes she deserves it

‘I can’t – I _can’t_ anymore – ’ cried Egeria, gripping the cushions so tightly her knuckles were in danger of splitting open her skin. Hypermenestra paused a few feet into the room and surveyed the scene. The midwife who had delivered her own son – a middle-aged, matronly woman named Ianthe – knelt at the Queen’s feet, and though her eyes were unaffected and her hands were steady, there was a tightness in her tone as she commanded the female slaves in the room. There were three of them, all from Egeria’s personal retinue of handmaids – Aoide, Daphne, and Elisavet, three sweet-faced, interchangeable women, each with curling brown hair and unmistakeably Akielon features.  
  
The slaves completed their duties in silence, yet it was clear that they were clumsily inexperienced – despite many pregnancies, Egeria had never managed to carry a child to full term until now. Countless times, she and Hypermenestra had watched Theomedes ride from the palace with a small band of guards to hunt away his grief, as though ridding boars and wildcats of their offspring would somehow reimburse him for his own personal tragedy. On those evenings, Hypermenestra would meet with and politely dismiss the physician and the slaves, knowing Egeria would, stupidly, want to seem strong and resilient to her people.  
  
While there was no obvious hostility between the two women, Egeria would never ask for Hypermenestra to be brought to her bedchambers, nor would Hypermenestra ever offer to do so; Hypermenestra was, after all, Theomedes’ mistress, and the mother of his child. Kastor was a sweet yet boisterous child and both Hypermenestra and Egeria treasured him, but Hypermenestra didn’t miss the look of longing in the Queen’s eyes when she helped Kastor learn a traditional song on the kithara or ate apricots with him in the gardens. Egeria was not an envious person but allowing her husband’s mistress to support her in her most vulnerable moments was not something she could easily bring herself to do. Until now, it seemed.  
  
‘My Lady, you must keep trying,’ said Ianthe, stony. ‘It is dangerous to both yourself and the child to stop now.’ Hypermenestra found herself glaring at the woman’s broad shoulders as she worked. _‘Can you not see she is exhausted?’_ she wanted to shout. Instead, she gathered her skirts and moved closer to Egeria’s shuddering frame. Her eyes, normally glittering with mischief or affection, were crushed shut, a deep crease appearing between them. Her jaw was similarly clenched, and occasionally a guttural scream would rip through her gritted teeth as a new wave of pain hit. Hypermenestra knew the feeling well – although Kastor’s birth had been relatively easy, there had been little in the way of pain relief, and Hypermenestra had had to rely heavily on her slaves for the days that followed Kastor’s birth, barely managing to rouse herself to get ready for his _amphidromia_. Ianthe had been firm and cool in her commands, and it was a surprise to see her practiced composure slipping slightly as Egeria continued to struggle.  
  
‘Nessa,’ came a voice strained with more than pain, and Hypermenestra focused on Egeria’s face. A moment of silence followed, during which Ianthe and the slaves continued to work, and then, shockingly, Egeria stretched out a hand, beckoning – no, offering. Hypermenestra’s feet moved before she could consider her response, and she clutched the woman’s hand as though she was the one being anchored. Despite her agony, Egeria still had the face of a Queen, of a mother – classically gorgeous and yet still open and honest. Hypermenestra realised she was heartbreakingly beautiful.  
  
'How are you?’ asked Hypermenestra, almost cringing at the absurdity of the question. Egeria smiled faintly.  
  
‘Ouch,’ she replied simply, almost grinning. Then she screamed once again, and Hypermenestra turned almost accusingly to Ianthe.  
  
‘Well?’ Ianthe rubbed the perspiration from her forehead with the back of her hand and leaned forward on her knees, her grey eyes fixed on the Queen. ‘Ianthe!’  
  
Then, finally – _finally_.  
  
He was a large infant, with a surprising mop of sticky brown curls, and when he opened his eyes, they were the exact shape and shade of his mother’s. Hypermenestra fell in love with him right there and then. She turned to Egeria, who was impossibly weak and yet still smiling, somehow. She pressed cracked lips to her baby’s forehead when he was handed to her. Hypermenestra didn’t allow herself to think of what this would mean for her and for Kastor. Forgetting themselves, the slaves moved closer to coo at the baby boy, and Egeria allowed it – not because she was exhausted, although she was, but because in that moment, both Egeria and her son were radiant, and not just to Hypermenestra. She found herself leaning down and pressing a kiss of her own to the Queen’s cheek. ‘You’ve done well, sister,’ she whispered, reaching out to caress the baby’s cheek with her fingertips. ‘Does he have a name?’  
  
Egeria paused in thought for a moment, considering. Then, softly, ‘Damianos. His name is Damianos.’ She raised her eyes, and the two women shared a private smile. Then, Hypermenestra straightened up, heading out into the hall and turning to the nearest guard, who bowed respectfully.  
  
‘Tell his Majesty King Theomedes that his wife has produced a healthy male heir to the Akielon throne, and his name is Damianos.’

**Author's Note:**

> thank you again for reading! please leave comments or kudos if you liked this - i hope to continue with these prompts as well as work on 'unfailingly' over the next few weeks and i'd love to hear what you think!


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